Following the reports of algal blooms on Skaneateles Lake, the New York State Department of Health,
Onondaga County Health Department, and the City of Syracuse Department of Water continue to work
collaboratively to collect samples to determine whether there were levels of algal toxin that could impact the
municipalities that use Skaneateles Lake as a public drinking water supply.
Samples tested today at the state’s Wadsworth Lab in Albany found 0.16 parts per billion inside the City of
Syracuse Gatehouse located in the Village of Skaneateles. This level is consistent with prior reported sampling
at the Gatehouse and below the health advisory levels for both adults and sensitive populations. This result is
NOT representative of the water reaching any customers of the Skaneateles Lake public water supply, including
the Village of Skaneateles. This sample is taken at a point which is still in the pre-treatment chain. All samples
of water that are representative of drinking water reaching customers of the system, including the City of
Syracuse, the Town of Dewitt, the Village of Skaneateles, the Town of Skaneateles, the Town of Elbridge, the
Village of Elbridge and the Village of Jordan have resulted in non-detectable levels of toxin.
Residents in the Village of Skaneateles and the other municipalities which use this drinking water source can
continue to drink the water.
The New York State Department of Health, Onondaga County Health Department and the City of Syracuse
Department of Water will continue enhanced monitoring through daily testing across the system until all
samples consistently return non-detectable results.
State and local officials will remain vigilant on this issue and continue our efforts to update and inform
communities in Onondaga County.
Onondaga County Health Department reminds residents who draw water directly from Skaneateles Lake
through near-shore PRIVATE INTAKES to take the following precautions:
• DO NOT USE the water for potable purposes such as drinking, making infant formula, making ice, brushing
teeth, preparing food, washing dishes, or for pets.
• Do not use the water for bathing when algae blooms are present near your water intake
To be clear, these recommendations apply only to residents with private intakes; in-home treatments such as
boiling, ultraviolet radiation (UV), and water filtration units do not remove the toxins associated with harmful
algal blooms.
” Low levels of microcystin were found at the intakes in the lake and at the intake 2/3 wet well at the City Gatehouse. We are currently drawing from Intake 1, which had no microcystins in the wet well in the gatehouse,” Skaneateles Director of Municipal Operations Shannon Harty said.
